Why Tottenham should cut short Gedson Fernandes loan spell

According to Express (h/t Football.london), Jose Mourhino has said that Gedson Fernandes’ loan spell at Tottenham could be coming to an end given the lack of minutes at the club. The manager was of the opinion that it was good to have Fernandes as an option but understands the situation if the player and Benfica take a call.

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Gedson Fernandes joined Benfica’s youth system in 2008 and progressed to the reserve team in 2017 after making a positive impression across various age-groups. He made his debut for Benfica’s B side in the Portuguese second-tier in 2016-17 and featured 31 times in the following campaign before being promoted to the first-team ahead of the 2018-19 season.

The 21-year-old came to be regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Portugal during his debut season, registering 3 goals and 6 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. Fernandes struggled with injuries, however, during the first half of the 2019-20 campaign, making just 13 appearances in all competitions before completing a loan move to Tottenham in January.

The highly-rated box-to-box midfielder has represented Portugal across various levels between U-16 and U-21, while also earning two senior international caps for his nation.

Spurs should end his loan spell soon

When Tottenham signed Gedson Fernandes last season on a long-term loan, it was seen as a very good move. The youngster had impressed for Benfica in the season prior and he could play in a variety of midfield roles. It was a win-win for Spurs in every way.

Now the problem is, he has hardly been given game time. He made 12 appearances last season but he played just 61 minutes of league football in 7 appearances. Even this season, he has been given just one game, in the EFL Cup.

Spurs have quite a heavy stock of players in the midfield, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovanni Lo Celso, Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks and Dele Alli all in their ranks. Even the established Alli is finding it hard to get games.

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It is pretty clear that there is no space for Gedson in the squad and Spurs should hold discussions with Benfica to facilitate a return to the Portugese club.

His progress is stalling and at 21, he needs much more game time than what has been afforded to him. At Benfica, he will likely get more game time and Spurs should terminate his loan deal at the earliest.